Lee’s presentation on Lifeboats and Tribes

• Used the analogy of lifeboats on a sinking ship
• Use the time available to decide who you want on your lifeboat (tribe)
• This was based on an article titled Which Lifeboat Will You Choose?
• This Powerpoint presentation formed the basis of the program (.ppt file)
• The presentation led into tribe-building plans. Yes, we are going to push hard on this.

Laura’s presentation on Meat Rabbits

• This Powerpoint presentation formed the basis of the program (.pptx file)
• Housing depends on which system you are using.
• Rabbits are fast, have sharp claws, chew on just about anything, so plan accordingly
• Meat is very low in fat content.
• Figure on a dressed weight of about half the live weight.
• Duckweed makes a good feed supplement.
• Bugs Bunny was wrong – carrots are NOT a good feed for rabbits

David’s presentation on Fire Starters

• Everyone present was given a zip-lock bag with the following items:
  • disposable butane lighter
  • length of waxed hemp cord
  • several plastic guitar picks
• This was packed into one unit with a piece of 1″ Duct Tape (you can just split regular Duct Tape if you can’t find 1″ wide tape)
• Dave demonstrated how flammable the guitar picks are
• Also demonstrated how a guitar pick can be shaved and scraped, and then ignited using a ferrocerium rod.

It the previous post, we tested some eggs that had been in Lime-Water storage for 6 months. With the great results from that, we decided to scale things up from the small test batch in a jar. This new batch would be for actual food storage, so the quantity needed to be considerably larger.

For the 3 gallon stoneware crock, we mixed 3 gallons of Lime-water. With the eggs, only about half that amount was actually used; however, it is best to mix more than you need so the excess Lime that settles to the bottom of the bucket isn’t dumped in with the eggs. Rather than pouring it, use a smaller container to carefully scoop out the clear liquid off the top, leaving the settled lime on the bottom undisturbed. It shouldn’t hurt, but it just makes things messier.

Another option – rather than the stoneware crock – would be to use the same half gallon glass jars that we used for the test sample. The advantage there is lower cost, and the ability to store them on a shelf rather than taking up floor space. If we had it to do over again, we would use the wide mouth half-gallon jars instead of the stoneware crock. Another advantage of using several jars rather than one crock, is that it is easier to rotate the stored eggs. Make sure you label the containers with the date.

3 Gallon Stoneware crock with lid.

Mixing the Lime and water in a ratio of 1 cup of Lime to 1 gallon of water. After the mixture settles, the milky appearance changes to clear.

Eggs were very carefully added, one at a time. The 3 gallon crock held 90 eggs, but there was still room for a few more.

With the eggs added, the stoneware lid was set in place (note that it is NOT a tight seal), followed by the bucket lid.

(Part 1 of 2 – Click HERE for Part 2)

Eggs are called “The Perfect Protein” for good reason, and they should be part of your food storage program. The most common method in use today is to store dried eggs, but in the 1700’s, other methods were used. In this case, we are using Lime water. This video shows how it is done.

The Lime/Water mixture is not critical. We used one cup of lime in a gallon of water. This gave a small amount of lime sediment, which would indicate that the mixture was saturated. Adding any more lime would just result in more wasted sediment at the bottom, making it messier to deal with.

This test was done using a half-gallon glass jar. For regular storage, we are using a 3-gallon Ohio Stoneware crock (link), with lid (link), kept in a large feed bucket. Be sure to read Part 2 to see what we would do different – lessons learned.

Note that we used a piece of wax paper between the jar and the lid. This is to avoid any corrosion of the metal jar lid (none was noted at 6 months).

Six Month Test Results:

• Appeared to be near-perfect preservation
• No unusual smell or taste or color
• The yolk was not as firm, and it easily broke when added to a frying pan.
• While the fried egg was quite good, the weaker yolk means it would probably be better suited to scrambling or baking.
• No detectable taste difference between the day-old and the 6-month old egg.
• This 6-month test was done on June 15, 2021. The eggs were gathered over a period of a week or two, and were kept at room temperature before being immersed in the lime water.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Use either glass or ceramic for the container – NEVER use metal, since it will react with the lime.
• Consider keeping the container inside of a bucket to protect it from breakage and make it easier to handle.
• Be sure to use a container with a wide enough mouth to allow you to carefully remove the eggs without breaking them.
• Eggs MUST be fresh, clean, and unwashed. Store-bought eggs will not work since the protective “bloom” layer has been washed off during processing.

Eggs at 6 months.

The egg on the left side is about 24 hours old, while the one on the right is about 6 months old.

Bottom left – 1 day old; Right – 6 months old; Top – Duck egg, about one hour old.

Bottom left – 1 day old; Right – 6 months old; Top – Duck egg, about one hour old.

Lime used – ordered through Amazon.

Amazon link for lime, 50 pound bag.

(Part 1 of 2 – Click HERE for Part 2)

From Lee’s “Reality Check” presentation:

This is the video that prompted this topic. Mr. Nyquist has been researching this topic for many years.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/HS7zzBYTEywI/

The PowerPoint file used (it is in .PPT format).

The key points of this topic:

• There is a wide array of current conditions that are highly volatile and could have a severe impact in a very short period of time.
• Prepare NOW.
• Organize into tribes in your local neighborhood. Make connections with like-minded people NOW.
• Avoid thinking in terms of what might happen 5 years from now, or next year, or even next week. Think it terms of “What if it happened right now?”
• What do you need to get now? What skills do you need to learn now?
• To quote MIT Economist, Rudiger Dornbusch:
  “Crisis takes a much longer time coming than you think, and then it happens much faster than you would have thought.”

From Scott’s presentation on Colloidal Silver:

Click here for Scott’s presentation notes.

The key points of this topic:

• Requires a supply of distilled water
• Important to understand the different types of colloidal silver
• As always – this is NOT medical advice, so do your own research before using it.

Burt’s program on growing and using wild yams

The key points of this topic:

• Learn to identify wild yams
• Video 1 – Identifying Edible Yams in the wild
• Video 2 – Winged Yams

Kelly’s program on Covert Gardening:

Click here for Kelly’s handout on Covert Gardening (PDF format).

The key points of this topic:

• There are options for growing your own food even if you don’t have the space where you live.
• There are ways to grow food that doesn’t look like food.
• Think outside the box – be creative in where and how you grow food.
• Covert gardening should NOT be your primary plan, or even your backup plan. It is a last-ditch emergency plan.

Trauma Kits

At the May meeting, Barry offered to get a price on trauma kits. After checking and getting a quote, it turns out that we can assemble our own kits at a considerable cost savings. This same type of kit was described (including photos and Amazon links) on this page. We have updated the links and prices from the original article written about a year ago.

March Meeting – March 13

• Cleaning, Maintaining and Troubleshooting the AR 15 with a demo on replacing the parts that easily wear out. Speaker will be bringing some parts kits.
• Building a portable VHF/UHF ground plane antenna. These can greatly extend the range of your hand-held radio.

Below are recommended links suggested by Mike during the program. The best time to order the parts was yesterday; second best time is today.

How to Clean & Lube Your AR-15

Where to purchase AR Parts you saw tonight:

Spring & Pin Combination Kit

AR15/m16 Extractor

AR15 Gas Block 750 Low Profile

AR15 Gas Tube Carbine Length Precision Arms

For a list of ALL parts used in an AR, you’ll want a copy of this PDF from Brownell’s.

Building the Jungle Antenna

Building a portable VHF/UHF ground plane antenna. These can greatly extend the range of your hand-held radio.

This PDF doc shows the details of how to build the Jungle Antenna.

• This described how to build a 1/4 wave antenna. Improved efficiency can be gained by going to a 5/8 wave antenna, though the length is going to be longer.
• The coax cable shown uses BNC connectors. To connect to the Baofeng radios, you will need a SMA-39 connector, which converts from SMA Female to BNC Female.

June 13, 2020 Meeting

• “AMP 3” video
• “AMP 3” contents
• Fish antibiotics, must-have books
• Overview of the medical kits in April meeting
• Pandemic Debriefing – Open discussion of lessons learned

The meeting began with a demonstration of the AMP 3 first aid kit – and a do-it-yourself version of that same kit. We then watched the AMP 3 video, which described the kit, along with how the different components are used.

The use of fish antibiotics (sold for use with aquarium fish) was discussed, along with a printed hand-out that gives details on how they are used, including dosage.

The medical kits that were detailed in the April video meeting were displayed, along with a brief overview of the kits, their purpose, and how they are used. The primary kit was purchased from Galls.

Building a medical reference library – a variety of books on first aid and medical treatment was displayed and discussed.

There are three basic categories – or reasons – for owning various types of medical reference books:

• Basic and advanced first aid during “normal” times when medical infrastructure is available.
• Comprehensive medical care at home in a situation in which medical infrastructure is not available.
• The preservation of knowledge that civilization cannot afford to lose. In a time when knowledge is “saved” in digital format rather than in ink-and-paper, someone needs to archive this information in a form that cannot be destroyed by EMP or other electronic destruction.

One of the “books” specifically discussed was the EMS Field Guide. It is a pocket-sized (3″x5″) quick reference guide in a tough, water-resistant package. There are several versions of this, but for general preparedness purposes, the BLS Version (previously called “Basic & Intermediate Version”) is the best choice. Click on the image to be taken to the Amazon order page.

Most people have a standard, off-the-shelf first aid kit around the house. It’s what is often referred to as a “boo-boo kit” – great for typical cuts and scrapes – but it is woefully insufficient for major trauma. That’s why we strongly recommend that you have a trauma kit available. This is a special purpose kit that is aimed at stopping the bleeding and other life-threatening effects of a serious wound – especially a gunshot wound. It is compact enough to make it easily available when and where it is needed, and inexpensive enough that cost should not be a major issue.

The kit we’re using here as an example is a trauma kit used by a church security team. The kit is a component of our Mass Casualty Kit, made up of 4 of these kits, identically configured, plus a 5th one with a few more advanced items. Listed below are the kit contents, including approximate price and Amazon link (links open in a separate tab). In training and in use, these kits are simply referred to as “Green Kit” or “Red Kit”. There are also three other medical kits, including a suitcase-size ALS kit with Oxygen, that are part of our medical response program, but we will cover them at a later time. Each of these kits will be displayed and discussed in an upcoming meeting.

First, let’s see what they look like:

Green Kit – Front side

Green Kit – Rear side showing MOLLE attachment system. For our purposes, this is not used.

Green Kit – Opened up showing contents. Our kits are loosely packed – you could (and should) add another Israeli bandage or other trauma dressings.

Red Kit contents. Same as Green Kit, plus NPA, Chest Seal twin pack, additional compresses.

Mass Casualty Kit, with 4 standard kits (“Green Kit”) and one advanced kit (“Red Kit”). These are kept in a Dewalt tool bag.

Contents

Pouch with EMT shears $13 – Note: The pouch comes with elastic pieces that connect the two sides so that it will not spill the contents when opened while attached to a vertical surface – we want the kit to open flat, so we cut those off. The original design is for use on a belt or MOLLE webbing, but for our use, the kit would be laying flat on the ground.

Tourniquet $12 – Note that tourniquets are a “last resort” measure, and they are very seldom needed – but when they are needed, nothing else will do. Direct pressure will stop the bleeding on the vast majority of wounds.

Israeli Bandage, 6″ $7.40 – Standard sizes are 4″ and 6″. Either will work fine, but we prefer the 6″ since that will easily fit into the pouch we use. For instructions on how to use this, see this video.

Misc. Items
Nitrile gloves (2 pair) – Having a box of these that are sized to fit your hand is highly recommended.
Pen and/or pencil with Notepad or 3×5 cards – Use for writing down the exact time that a tourniquet was applied, along with patient name, age, and notes.

“Red Kit” additions
Nasopharyngeal Airway (NPA) with Surgilube, 4 pack, assorted sizes $10 – Caution – For use ONLY by those who have been trained in its use.

Chest Seal, twin pack $16 – Should have two in order to treat both entrance and exit wounds.

Suggested additional items, depending on available space in kit and your specific situation

Additional Israeli bandage(s)
Celox Z-fold gauze
QuikClot
Ziplock bag of non-sterile 4×4 gauze
Sterile compress and Kling-wrap
Combat Splint

Some often-repeated wisdom that bears saying again

• Equipment is of little use if you don’t know how to use it. Get training.
• Don’t exceed your level of training – it’s easy to do more harm than good.
• Knowledge is king.

February 8, 2020

• Survival Fishing with the yo-yo reel
• Making apple cider vinegar and the “mother”
• The importance of vinegar, baking soda, garlic, cinnamon, and red pepper
• Essential oils, tinctures, and herbs
• Bucket storing techniques – O2 absorbers with type and volume, Mylar bags with type and models, bucket options

Yo-Yo Reels – Automated fishing
Yo-Yo reels were demonstrated and passed them around so folks could see how they work. These are essentially a spring-loaded reel that retracts when a fish takes the bait. These can be baited, set, then checked later. Note that, as far as we can tell, Florida freshwater fishing rules do not clearly indicate if they are legal or not to use here. We’re talking about fish as a food source under survival conditions when sports fishing rules would no longer apply.

Also demonstrated was a minnow trap – minnows make good bait. These occasionally show up at yard sales.

Video demonstrating the Yo-Yo reel:

Video showing a modification to the Yo-Yo reel:

Making apple cider vinegar and the “mother”
The importance of vinegar, baking soda, garlic, cinnamon, and red pepper
Hand-outs from this meeting can be found on the link at Kelly’s Corner. Two members shared information about loved ones who had been bitten by brown recluse spiders and how homeopathic remedies made the big difference to both these very serious cases.

Tip: Spiders hate peppermint. Spray a mix of peppermint oil and water around doors and windows. Always check your shoes if you leave them outside or in the garage. Works for mice too.

Demo – making vinegar. See Kelly’s Corner for further info on this.

Various essential oils and herbs were discussed, along with their use.

Bucket storing techniques – O2 absorbers with type and volume, Mylar bags with type and models, bucket options

Sealing up a Mylar bag filled with rice, along with oxygen absorbent packets.

Several days after this was sealed at the meeting, you can see how well the oxygen absorbent packets have worked by the way the bag has been pulled down as the oxygen was removed.

January 11, 2020
These are the BASICS. If you’re just getting started, don’t miss this one.

• Water – THE Most Important Prep
• How much you really need and where to find it
• Gutters, harvesting rain water, swimming pool, hot tub, ponds, filters, and purification
• How to find water in the wild
• Water storage and transportation options
• Barrels, jugs, kiddie pools, plastic containers
• Food, Part 1 – How much do we need – Time, Souls, and Calories
• Food – Shop for the year, starting right now
• Food – Methods of storing overview – canning, buckets, dehydration, meals-in-a-jar, MREs, 30-day storage buckets
• Food – The 52 Week Method

Some of the items demonstrated and discussed:

1

2

3 (Note: StoveTec is apparently no longer in business)

4

It is important that we not get distracted by “Arts and Crafts Prepping” – cobbling together something that can easily and affordably be purchased today. Leave that for those who refuse to prepare. “Arts and Crafts Prepping” is kind of like building furniture out of old pallets – it might be fun, but that is very low quality wood and it will not last long. This isn’t a game that we’re playing, so quality matters. Don’t trust your drinking water to some plans you found on the web that use plastic buckets and sand, when you can buy something made for the purpose that will do the job right.

We are way past teaching “Arts and Crafts” prepping a.k.a. “How to survive in the wilderness” and are now focusing on how to prep in the here and now. Instead of learning how to sterilize water in a soda bottle using the sun…just buy a 100% proven, safe water filter. Now is the time to prepare while the good stuff is readily available and trucks are still delivering from Amazon.

Are you really wanting to go to Walmart or Publix if the coronavirus hits big time in the US or when Antifa takes to the streets because they don’t agree with the election and trucks stop delivering. Do you have a water barrel or 2 or 3? Water is the first to go in a “crisis”. Do you have a large supply of N95 masks?

To that end…prepare now.

Food self-sufficiency is important goal, but it is not a substitute for a good food storage program. A can of “Survival seeds” is not a plan – it is a way to sell a false sense of security.

REFERENCES
How Much Land Do I Need? – “David The Good” gives a great overview of gardening for self-sufficiency.

131 Survival Foods

One Year Supply Guide

November 9, 2019

• Fire starting – flint and steel, fire plow, tender, Dakota fire pit, dealing with rain and dampness.
• How to cook using a tripod and cast iron dutch oven and other cast iron utensils.
• How to make a brick rocket stove
• Alcohol stoves demo

Building a Rocket Stove

After discussion about the bulk radio purchase, the meeting began with a demonstration of how to build a rocket stove from standard concrete blocks. Dave built one and demonstrated how it works, and then showed several variations on the design. A quick search on YouTube will show various designs.

Using a Cooking Tripod

Another important aspect of primitive cooking is the use of a tripod to suspend a pot over the fire. At a time when food is scarce, the most common meal will probably be soups and stews with whatever is available at the time.

Cooking tripod with cast iron pot.

Fire-Starting Methods

Several methods of starting a fire were discussed and demonstrated.

• Ferro Rod
• Flint and Steel
• Magnifying glass
• Lighter
• Matches

While it is important to know various ways of starting a file, the point here is NOT to become highly skilled at using a flint and steel to start a fire. The point is realize the importance of having matches and/or a lighter so you don’t have to resort to something like flint and steel.

Have it With You

EDC Pocket kit. Outside pocket contains flashlight and spare keys.

EDC Pocket kit. Two fire-starting methods here: magnifying glass and “peanut” lighter. Also shown: S&W tactical pen, pocket knife, nail clipper, pill containers, flash drives.

Alcohol Stoves

Alcohol stoves – also called Spirit stoves – are about as simple as a cooking stove can get. There are no moving parts, no seals, and no pump. There is even a group of folks who enjoy designing and building their own alcohol stoves from things like discarded soda cans. Alcohol stoves use Denatured Alcohol, which is available by the quart or gallon in the paint section of just about any hardware store. Note that you must use Denatured Alcohol – rubbing alcohol, etc., will not work. It shouldn’t be needed, but we’ll point out here that Denatured Alcohol is a poison – not just sort of toxic, but highly toxic.

Trangia burner and stove. Weight = 7 ounces.

Trangia burner and stove assembled.

EverNew Titanium burner and stove. Weight = less than 2 ounces. Also shown is 8 ounces of Denatured Alcohol in a Stanley stainless steel flask: weight = 12 ounces.

Assembled EverNew Titanium burner and stove.